Taxes, we got taxes: Discussing taxes in this newspaper a few weeks ago, OP Trustee Robert Milstein encouraged coordination by taxing bodies. First up for discussion would be how soon the village returns its TIF money to the schools. Is there a more poignant example of non-cooperation among taxing bodies than Tax Increment Financing, which school boards consider taking food (money) out of their children's mouths (budgets)-a point already made by a crusading editor but worth repeating?

WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY, AND HE IS US: As for punishing taxation, it's our own fault. In the recent town meeting, our township assessor of taxpayers' ire, if not of property, said this year's ire is the worst he's seen. He fingered referendums as a major source. That's us at work. "It's partly our own fault. We've never seen a referendum in Oak Park that we've said no to," said one taxpayer, adding ominously, "We need to look very carefully at what we're voting for." Another told of being told when she appealed her taxes: "You people in Oak Park come crying to us every year. Stop voting yes for every referendum."

QUIET, TRUSTEES IN STUDY SESSION: Two Oak Park trustees, both first-termers, have missed 10 and 19 study sessions respectively of 27 this year. One of them sees it as a full-time job and wants more time with his kids. The other pleaded work obligations but noted that study sessions sometimes lack discipline. Yes. Cherchez le Milstein here. He recently had to be reminded by another trustee that a matter he was considering-how to persuade people to own fewer autos-was "not in our purview."

"I don't know the answer to that," M. had said with a smile, as if in a faculty common room or student dorm. But he's not supposed to know the answer to that!

Not only could Milstein try putting a sock in it, but President David Pope might try taking half the time to say twice as much, now and then. His starts and stops are enough to make a grown man fidget, if not weep. He won the presidency in part because of revulsion at alleged high-handedness by his predecessor in running meetings.

But one who profited from the backlash won't attend meetings that go on and on, calling it "tedious" to hash out what he has already studied and decided. And another, whom Pope picked, criticizes how he runs things. Maybe there's a reason why his predecessor ran a tight ship.

SEEN FROM A LIBRARY WINDOW ... Nice June evening, man stands at library window looking out at the park. He had walked across it 15 minutes earlier, and it had been a lovely scene-frisbee on the green, couples with little ones, people lounging. What he sees now horrifies him. A boy is humping a girl on the grass.

Both are clothed. He is holding her down, as if in a wrestling move, bouncing up and down on her crotch. She wraps her legs around him. A second girl wants to get at the boy on the ground, as if to stop him, but is prevented by another boy, who lifts her from behind, holds her, then puts her back down on her feet.

She leaves the three, heading to a corner of the park 100 feet or so away where others are gathered. The humping boy gets up after several minutes. The humped girl gets up laughing, smoothes her hair, stands there. He gets her now from behind, standing, and humps some more.

The man goes outside. At the corner of the park, a dozen to 15 teens congregate at benches, milling about with each other, talking and laughing. The humping couple is part of this group. This is the group's corner. Elsewhere in the park, everything is as before.

Jim Bowman's Oak Park Items blog is linked at www.jimbowman.com.

Humping has existed for perhaps thousands of years. Many Pre-Columbian indigenous people practiced the gesture of humping as a form of greeting and communication. It could mean “Hey, howzit goin,” or “Haven’t we met before?” or “Come one over for dinner, we’ve got a member of one of our enemy tribes on the barbie.”

The Catholic priests who accompanied the Conquistadors described humping in their journals. Many had difficulties adjusting to the practice, especially if a man did the humping, although some priests found the gesture quite invigorating and quit the church.